Kent man who shed 15 stone among runners in London marathon

WATCH: Dave's running journey led to him being named Slimming World's 'Man of the Year.'

A man from Kent who lost 15 stone is among the tens of thousands taking part in today's London Marathon.

Dave Winchester from Ashford in Kent could barely walk half a mile and feared for his health before embarking on his weight loss journey.

But after shedding the weight over a four-year period, he says he feels like a new man.

"I didn't really leave the house a few years ago," he said. "I was ashamed of how I looked and embarrassed.

"I struggled to drive my car - my steering wheel was above my belly. I stopped my whole social life because of my weight, because of my size."

Dave Winchester on how losing weight has changed his life.

He started shedding the pounds two weeks after his father-in-law's wake when he joined an online Slimming World group without anyone knowing.

He said he was too embarrassed to join an in-person group because there's a stigma that men do not do Slimming World.

But he grew in confidence and joined a local running group, eventually being crowned Slimming World's 'Man of the Year.'

"I'm proud of what I've achieved and I'm so full of confidence now," he said.

"It's great just to go out and not feel judged, and I'm loving life for it."

Dave is running the London Marathon to raise money for Cancer Research UK.

He's one of thousands of runners braving very wet conditions in the capital today.

WATCH: Neil Ballard is running to raise funds for a homeless charity in Berkshire

Neil Ballard from Berkshire is another from our region running for a good cause, the Newbury Soup Kitchen.

The 42-year-old, who's not a seasoned distance runner, wanted to do something positive for the community.

"There's been a lot in the news about people struggling, and homelessness, so I wanted to support a local charity," he said.

"It's something I've always wanted to do. I kind of enjoy running but it's 5 and 10Ks. It's exciting, I'm really looking forward to it."

Sunday’s race is set to be the largest-ever London Marathon, with at least 45,000 people due to take part in the mass participation event, up from 40,643 in 2022.